Means for conditioning and circulating the air in cold storage rooms



C. A. MOORE Jill 7, 1931.

MEANS FOR CONDITIONING AND CIRCULATING THE AIR IN COLD STORAGE ROOMSFiled Feb. 7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jvwcmov July 7, 1931. c. A. MOORE1,813,250

MEANS FOR CONDITIONING AND CIRCULATING THE AIR IN COLD STORAGE ROOMSFiled Feb. 7; 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet z H. 30 I B I C B 30 I 3 6 7 Char/es il-Moore dam 334,511 heretofore Patented 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENToFFIcE CHARLES A; Medan, on EDINA; MINNESOTA.

Means iron c'onnrrromne AND oiRcULAT'ING THE AIR IN com) STORAGE ROOMSApplication filed February 7, 1929. Serial No. 338,181.'

My invention relates to improvements in means for circulating andconditioning the air in cold storage rooms.

A prior application for patent, Ser. No.

filedby myself discloses means for refrigerating and controlling thecirculation of air in a cold sto-rage r'oom, the

. same including banks of overhead refrigerant coils extendinglongitudinally :of the room over acentral trucking aisle, said banks ofcoils being spacedapart horizontally toform a central port in thecoilasseinblyr About this assembly are side and end ba-fiie walls, theupper edges thereof, like the uppermost reaches of the coils in saidassembly, being disposed; beneath the ceiling of the. room. to

provide a space between the coils and ceiling into which the air alongthe ceilingmay flow. Located in this space in a vertical plane, mediallyof said port, is a longitudinal ceiling bafile consisting ofsuperimposed refrigerant pipesadapted to be frosted together.

Taking off from the feed pipe of this longitudinal ceiling battle andreturning to the 5 return ,pipe of said bafile are a number of valvedrefrigerant, pipes forming lateral baffles, the same being located atintervals between the ends of the room. The .longitudinal baffle marksoff two main bays infthe room, while the lateral baffles mark offsmaller 1 bays in each main bay; Directly beneath each lateral baflie isa conduit open at the upper side thereof, its outer end being closed andits inner end open and projecting into the 1 space occupied by,therefrigerant coils be tween the side wall battles The circulation ofair inthe room is mainly confined to two circuits as follows: Airabo utthe coils, being refrigerated, descends at the central aisle, thencedivides and flows in opposite directions toward the side walls oftheroom, thence rises along the relatively warm walls to the upper portionof the room, thence flows in ward from the sides along the ceiling ofthe room into the space above the refrigerant coils and:tl1ence descendsagain, thus com- .pleting the cycle. The longitudinalbaflies prevent therelatively warm air of arelatively high, percentage of humidity at theceiling from crossing over the refrigerant coils from one side of theroom, where newly stored l'a' ding of relatively high temperature. maybe placed, to the other side of the room where refrigerated goods may belocated. And the lateral baflles likewise prevent the passage ofrelatively warm air of arelatively high perceived in theconduits--therebeneath and directed thereby into the space between theside bafiie walls, wherein, as previously noted, the refrigerant coilsare located, Fro-In the foregoing, it will be understood that in theinvention disclosed in said prior application, Ser. No; 334,511,the'reis a natural convective and diffused circulation of air, induced bygravity, in the particular circuits noted.

An object of the present invention is to associate with a structure,embodying the features aforesaid, such means as will stimu late suchnatural, convective and diffused'circulation of air in a coldstorage'room and enhance the refrigerating effect of the equipmentprovided, it being a purpose of the present invention to take advantageof the Various element-s in their respective relations in the priorcombinaticn'to produce the results of the "instant invention in a simpleand effective manner.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will appear in thefollowing d.escriptlon, the invention resides 111 the novel combinationand arrangement of parts and I in the details of constructionshereinafter described and claimed. 7

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a view showing, in section, the walls of acold storage ro'on'i and illustrating, in plan,an embodiment of myinvention in air circulating" and conditioning means arranged within theroom; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken as on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a similar view taken as on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, I have illustrated a room A. having side walls 10, endwalls 11 and ceiling 12, said room being elongated in accordance withthe presently accepted designs of rooms for commercial cold storageplants, wherein. a central trucking aisle is provided in a room for thetransfer of lading to and from the storage spaces along the length ofthe room at either side of the central aisle.

Located overhead along this central aisle is the major portion of theapparatus embodying my invention, the remaining portions beingrepresented in lateral baiiies and conduits therebeneath, as will morefully hereinafter appear.

In the part of the structure extending overhead along the centraltrucking aisle, I supply a U-shaped assembly of refrigerant conductingpipes 13, the two legs of the asse1nbly comprising horizontally spacedbanks B extending lengthwise of the aisle and the base comprising aconnecting bank 0 extending transversely of the aisle at one end of thepipe assembly. Each of said banks of pipes consists of threehorizontally spaced tiers, the corresponding pipe portions in the diiierent tiers of said banks being parts of a length of pipe bent inU-shaped formation. At the open end of the pipe assembly, opposite theconnecting bank C, are two upright refrigerant headers 14 and 15, "theformer being a feed header, which is connected 9 lower end with a feedmain 1'6, and. the latter being a return header, which is connected atits upper end with a return main 17. These ma' ..S 16 and 17 areconnected with a source refrigerant supply, not shown. lllach of theU-shaped pipes 13 is connected at one end thereof with the feed header11- and at its other end with the return heznler 15. And each pipe 13 isfitted with a valve 13 near its connection with said feeder header 1%. asecond valve 18 being also 1ll'.1( therein near the connection betweenthe e and said return header 15. The pipe ported from the ceiling 12 bymeans 4 straps 19 supplied with hoe." "l in which the reaches of piperest. The dance between the reaches of the pipes 13 ineach tier,particularly the outer tiers, is such that the accumulation of frozencondensation on said pines will cause the frosting together of the samein solid formation. And the distance between the ceiling 12 and theuppermost reaches of pipe in the pipe assembly is such as to provide anair space D (Fig. between said assembly and ceiling. Suspended. from theceiling 12 by means of han straps 21 and surrounding the assemblyrefrigerant pipes 13 are side bafiie walls 22 and 23 and end bafflewalls 24; and 25, the upper ed y' of said baffle walls being d'-.poscdsli beneath the level of the upper reaches of mger pipes 13 and,consequently, being clear of the air space I) above the assembly ofpipes 13. The side baflie walls 22 and 23 and the end baflie wall 2% arespaced from the corresponding sides and end of the pipe assembly toprovide communicating side and end passageways E, F and G. Between theend baifle wall 25 and the adjacent end of the pipe assembly is apartition wall 26, which together with said end baffle wall 25 forms anair heador H, the same being in c-on'nnunication with said sidepassageways E and F. In this connection, it will be noted that thecommunicating passageways E, F and G are open along the top thereof.Said passageways, however, may be closed at the bottom by allowingsuiticient frost to accumulate on the reaches of the lowermost pipe 13,whereby the spaces between baffle walls and pipe are blocked, Figs. 2and 3. The air header H is also open along the top thereof, butobviously may be closed, if and when desired, by any suitable closure.

he partition wall 26 is formed with an opening 27 therein receiving theblades of a fan 28 which is supported upon a bracket 29 secured to theinner side of the end baiile wall 25. This opening 27 and the fan 28have a common axis lying in a vertical plane inedially of port I formedbetween the banks B of pipes 13, the position of said axis in elevationbeing between the horizontal planes of the uppermost and the lowermostof the refrigerant pipes 13. At the lower edges of the baffle walls 22,23, 2-1 and 25 are inwardly extending drain members 30 forming acontinuous gutter from which accumulated condensation is drained as bymeans of a drain pipe 31. In this connection it may be noted that thedrain member 30 at the lower edge of the end baiiie wall 25 closes thebottom of the air space in the header H, which, as previously stated isformed between said end baflie wall 25 and the adjacent partition wall26.

Extending along the ceiling 12, medially of the port I is a longitudinalceiling baffle J consisting of upper and lower reaches of a refrigerantpipe 32 formed with a hair pin bend at 33. aid reaches of the pipe 32are closely adjacent each other and adapted to be frosted over solidlyby the accumulation thereon of frozen condensation, the upper reach ofsaid pipe being disposed closely adjacent to the ceiling 12. The lowerreach of the refrigerant pipe 32 communicates through a connection withthe feed header 1e, said connection being fitted with a valve 35. Andthe upper reach of said pipe 32 communicates through a connection 36with the return header 15, said connection 36 being fitted with a. valve37. Lateral ceiling bullies K, similar in construction to the.longitudinal baiile J are provided at intervals between the ends of theroom, each of said baiiies comprising a refrigerant pipe 38, bent as at139, the upper and lower reaches I IU being fitted with a valve 39.These lateral ceiling baflies K, eiitendingfrom the structure over thecentral trucking aisle 1n the room,

reach siibstanti'ally to the side walls 10. Be-

neatheach lateral bafile K is a trough or conduit '40, "opening alongthe top thereof directly below the baffle, said trough having a closure41 at its outer end, but being open at the, inner end thereof. Saidinner end of each trough or conduit is fitted in a notch cut in theupper margin of oneof the side wall bafiies 22, 23 and communicates withthe space between said side baffle walls in which the assembly of pipes13 is disposed. Hangers 42, 43 and 44 support thepipes 32-, 38 and thetroughs 40, respectively.

As previously indicated, the circulatlon set up in room equipped with astructure of the instant natureis confined generally to two "circuits asfollows: The air about the banks B of the pipes 13 and in the port Ibetween said banks being refrigerated descends by gravity iii thecentral aisle dividing at the center of the room and flowing toward theside walls, mainly at the lower portions of the lading spaces at eitherside 'of the aisle. Rising along the relatively warm side walls, the anascends to the ceiling, then c'e flows inward from either side passingalong the ceiling and into the space D above the pipes13, and thenceagain descends about the pipes 13 and port I, thus completing thecycle.Warm air of relatively high humidity which has ascended to the ce 1lingfrom a pile of relatively warm ladi'ng 1s kept from passing through thespace above the pipes 13 and "descending on refrlgerated goods at theopposite side of the aisle by means of the longitudinal baffle J. And,similarly, by meaiis of the lateral baiiies K such warm air is kept frompassing along the cei'l-' ing, longitudinally of'th'e room, to anotherbay at the same sideof the aisle and descending in said bay onrefrigerated goods therein disposed. The air refrigeratedabout thelongitudinal baffle J descends through the port I between the banks B ofpipes 13, while the air refrigerated about the lateral bafiies Kdescends into the troughs or conduits 40 and thence flows therethroughinto the space between the 'side baffle walls 22 and 23, where it isfurther refrigeratedby the pipes 13 and caused to descendin the main,central stream medially of the room. I v

The application of my present lnvention to a structure functioning asabove pointed'out, stimulates the flow of the "air in the circuitsestablished by gravity and renders the refrigeratingequipment moreeffective. Thus,

I permitthe outer tiers of pipes 13 to become frosted over asindicatedin dotted'lines in 'Figs. 2 and 3. This seals the inner walls and thebottoms 'of .-thepassageways E, F and G.

tending laterally of the room an *ith the fan -28 in operation, theairflowing along the conduits 40 passesinto the passageways E, F.y .Also, apart of the air flowing along the ceiling and into the space D over thepipe assembly passes into said passageways E, F, and also into thepassagewayG and the open upper part of the air header H. This air inthese passageways is drawn along the same to the fan 28 and .thenceblown by; c

the fan into the port I.. In passingthrough said passageways E, F and G,the air is cooled by the pipes 13 in the outer tiers and is furthercooled by the inner tiers of said pipes after leaving the fan and uponentering the, port I. W hen'the refrigerating and air circulatingeffectby gravity alone sufiices,'the operation of the fan 18 isdiscontinued and 'phe outer tiers of pipe defrosted, partiallyaat east.

The valves 18, 35 and 39 provide forselec tively bringing into andputting out of opera 151011, the pipes 13 and ceiling baflies J and K,respectively. r I

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein, disclosed, maybe made within the scope ofwhat is claimed withoutdeparting from thespirit of my invention.

Having describedni-y invention, what I claim as new and desire Patentis: 1

1. The combination with a roomof overhead refrigerating and aircirculating means "eXtending longitudinally 'of the room between theside Wall-sthereof, said means including refrigerant pipes arrangedjlntiers spaced t apart horizontally to form a port between them, sideandrba flie walls' about the tiersof pipes, the upper edges of saidb'afli'e walls and the upper refrigerant .pip'es being disposed belowthe ceiling to provide a space for the passage of airbetween the sameand the ceillng, eachslde baffle wall being spaced horizontallyfroin theadjacent, tier offpip'es to to protect by Letters form a passageway openat the top and ex:

tendinglongitudinally of the room between 3 said end bafiie walls, theadjacent pipes in each tier be1ng close to each other and adapted to befrosted together solidly, the accmnul'ation 'offro'st on lower pipe ofeach ti'e-r being adapted to close the bottom of the passageway formedby thetier and the adjacent side baffle wall, refrigerating elements exforming ba'liies at the ceillng thereof, air conduits, one for each 'ofsaid refrigerating elements, each eo'ndult opening "at its upper sidebeneath its respective refrigerating element and opening at its inner'end into oneof said passageways, a partition wall adjacent one of the'end haflie walls forming, air header communicating with saidlongit'u'dina-l passageways, said partition wallhav- 111g an openingtherein registering with the port between said tiers ra-gingham pipes,

' a fan arranged to draw the air from said air in connection therewith,an

header and blow it though said opening into and along the port betweensaid tiers of pipe.

2. The combination with a room of overhead refrigerating and aircirculating means extending longitudinally of the room between the sidewalls thereof, said means including refrigerant pipes arranged in tiersspaced apart horizontally to form a port between them, side and endbaflle walls about the tiers of pipes, the upper edges of said bafllewalls and the upper refrigerant pipes being disposed below the ceilingto provide a space for the passage of air between the same and theceiling, each side battle wall being spaced horizontally from theadjacent tier of pipes to form a passageway open at the top andextending longitudinally of the room between said end baffle walls, theadjacent pipes in each tier being close to each other and adapted to befrosted together solidly, the accumu lation of frost on lower pi 3e ofeach tier being adapted to close the bottom of the passageway formed bythe tier and the adjacent side bafile wall, a partition wall adjacentone of the end baffle walls forming, in connection therewith, an airheader communicating with said passageways, said partition wall havingan opening therein registering with the port between said tiers ofrefrigerant pipes, and a fan arranged to draw the air from said airheader and blow it through aid opening into and along the port betweensaid tiers of pipe.

3. The combination with a room of overhead refrigerating and aircirculating means extending longitudinally of the room between the sidewalls thereof, said means including banks of refrigerant conductorsspaced from the ceiling to provide an air space thereover and spacedhorizontally from each other to provide a port communieating with saidair space, side baffle walls, one adjacent each bank of refrigerantconductors, each side baffle wall and its respective bank of refrigerantconductors forming an air passageway open at the top thereof, spacedwalls at one end of the conductor assembly forming an air headerconnnunicating with said longitudinal passageways, the inner wall ofsaid two spaced walls having an opening therein registering with theport between said banks of refrigerant conductors, and a fan arranged todraw the air from said air header and blow it through said opening intoand along said port.

l. The combination with a room of overhead refrigerating and aircirculating means extending longitudinally of the room be tween the sidewalls thereof, said means including banks of refrigerant conductorsspaced apart horizontally to provide a port between them, side bafflewalls, one adjacent each bank of refrigerant conductors, each sidebaffle wall and its respective bank of refrigerant conductors forming anair passageway open at the top thereof, an air header at one end of theconductor assembly communicating with said passageways, and a fanarranged to draw the air from said air header and blow it into and alongsaid port.

5. The combintion with a room of overhead refrigerating and aircirculating means extend'ng longitudinally of the room between the sidewalls thereof, said means in cluding banks of refrigerant conductorsspaced apart horizontally to provide a port bet. een them, side bafflewalls, one adjacent each bank of refrigerant conductors, each sidebaffle wall and its respective bank of refrigerant conductors forming anair passageway open at the top thereof, and means for drawing the airfrom said passageways and blowingit into and along said port.

6. The combination with a room of refrigerating and air circulatingmeans ex tending longitudinally of the room and including a bank ofrefrigerant conductors, a side bahie wall adjacent said bank ofrefrigera-ntconductors forming, in connection therewith, an airpassageway open at the top thereof near the ceiling, and means fordrawing air from said passageway and blowing it along said bank ofrefrigerant conductors.

7. The combination with a room of overhead refrigerating and aircirculating means extending longitudinally of the room between the sidewalls thereof, said means including banks of refrigerant conductorsspaced apart horizontally to provide a port between them, side baillewalls, one adjacent each bank of refrigerant conductors, each sidebaffle wall and its respective bank of refrigerant conductors forming anair passageway open at the top thereof, refrigerating element at theceiling of the room extending laterally thereof, means suspended beneathsaid refrigerating elements for receiving the air descending therefromand conducting it into said passageways, and means for drawing theairfrom said passagewaysand blowing it into and along said port.

8. The combination with a room of overhead refrigerating and aircirculating means extending longitudinally of the room between the sidewalls thereof, said means including a bank of refrigerant conductors, abaffle wall adjacent one side of said bank of refrigerant conductorsforming in conjunction therewith an air passageway, a conduit extendinglaterally of the room and open along its length near the ceiling for theingress of air thereto, said conduit leading to said passageway, andmeans for drawing the air from said passageway and blowing it back alongsaid bank of conductors.

9. The COHlblDZttlOll wi h a room of refrigerating and air circulatingmeans extended L we room, said means including a bank of refrigerantconductors, means forming air passageways, open at the top, along thesides ing along the length thereof and being closed by pipe at one endand open at the otherend,

of said bank of conductors and means for drawing air from saidpassageways and blowing it along said conductors between saidpassageways.

10. The combination with a room of refrigerating and air circulatingmeans extending along the room, said means including a bank ofrefrigerant conductors, means form-v ing an air passagewayv along theside of said bank of conductors, a conduit open along the ceiling forthe ingress of air thereto, said conduit leading to said air passageway,and means for drawing air from said passageway and blowing it along saidbank of refrigerant conductors.

11. In combination, a structure forming a chamber, an assembly of bankedrefrigerant pipes extending along the chamber near the ceiling thereofconsisting of superimposed U-shaped reaches of pipe, said assembly thusformed having a vertical central port extendheaders for said pipe at theopen end of the assembly, and a fan at said end thereof adapted to blowair into said port lengthwise thereof in the direction of the closed endof the assembly.

12. In combination, a structure forming a chamber, a bank of refrigerantconductors extending along the chamber near the ceiling centrally ofsaid chamber and formed to provide a vertical central port extendingalong the same and opening through one end thereof only, and a fan atsaid open end of said bank arranged to blow air into said port, lon-'gitudinally thereof in the direction of the closed end.

13. In combination, a structure forming a formed for the descenttherethrough fromend to end thereof of air from the upper to a lowerportion of the room and for the intro- I I I duction of air theretolengthwise thereof, supplementary means for refrigerating air, and meansfor blowing such air into said assembly in the direction of its length.-

16. The combination with a room of an overhead refrigerating and aircirculating assembly of refrigerant conductors extending longitudinallyof the room and spaced from i CHARLES A. MOORE.

chamber, a bank of refrigerant conductors extending along the chambernear the ceiling, and formed to provide a vertical centralport extendingalong the same, and a fan arranged to blow air into said portlongitudinally thereof from one end of the bank of conductors. V

14. The combination with a room of overhead refrigerating and aircirculating means centrally disposed longitudinally of the room andspaced from the ceiling thereof, said meanscomprising a bank ofhorizontally arranged refrigerant pipes spaced apart and providing a wayfor the descent therethrough of air from the upper to a lower portion ofthe room and for the passage of air lengthwise through the bank, meanssupplementary to said first means for refrigerating air preparatory toits endwise introduction into said bank of pipes, and means for blowingsuch air into the bank lengthwise thereof. 7

15. lhe combination with a room of an overhead refrigerating and aircirculating assembly of refrigerant conductors extending longitudinallyof the room and spacedfrom the ceiling thereof, said assembly being lie

